As time passes, the novels of Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) seem to gain in freshness, stature and influence. He lived long enough to see his modest reputation fade, in contrast to that of many of his famous novelist contemporaries. Nowadays the situation seems to be reversing.

Of special merit, amongst his huge output, are the so-called Barsetshire ("clerical") novels, and the so-called Palliser ("political") novels. Of the former, the last and longest is "The Last Chronicle of Barset". Not only are there fresh concerns, complications and current affairs introduced here, but there are also fond and final appearances of people and places encountered in the earlier Barsetshire novels. Everybody's favourite literary virago, Mrs Proudie, is again denouncing and dominating everybody. Trollope even contrives to create a character who has the temerity to say to her, "Peace, Woman!"

There are the innumerable characters of marriageable age, whose names are perhaps more memorable than their characters, whose charming dialogues and relationship problems are deftly laid out and interwoven. Above all, there is master story-teller Anthony Trollope, admitting finally that for him Barset has been a real place, a place where he as been induced to wander too long by his "love of old friendships, and by the sweetness of old faces".

Superb TV and radio adaptations of Trollope's Barsetshire novels have appeared in recent years. His novels read aloud well, too, and audio cassette readings, some of them unabridged, can provide endless hours of rich listening pleasure.

THE LAST CHRONICLE OF BARSET is one of the great novels in the English language, and yet it is not widely read. The reason for this is obvious: it is the LAST novel in the Barsetshire series of novels, and a relatively small number make it all the way through the previous five volumes. This is a shame, because while all the previous novels are quite excellent and thoroughly entertaining, the final novel in the series is a work of an entirely different level of magnitude.

This novel is also one of the darkest that Trollope wrote. The moral dilemma in which Crawley finds himself would seem to belong more readily to the world of Dostoevsky than Victorian England.

Can this novel be read on its own, without reading the novels that precede it? Yes, but I do feel that it is best read after working through the other books in the series first. This is hardly an unfortunate situation, since all the books in the series are superb (with the exception of the first novel, THE WARDEN, which, while nice, is merely a prelude to the far superior five novels that came after it). Many of the characters in THE LAST CHRONICLE appeared first as characters in the other novels, and the central character of the book, Crawley, himself appeared earlier.

Trollope is...one of the most entertaining writers the English language has produced. At this point I have read around 20 of his novels, and fully intend to read more. But of all his books, this one might be his finest. The only two that I feel are close to the same level are his incredible books THE WAY WE LIVE NOW and HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT (possibly the finest work on excessive jealousy since OTHELLO). Anyone who loves the English novel owes it to him or herself to read as many of these volumes as possible. My recommendation would be to read first the six novels in the Barsetshire Chronicles, and then to move on to the other two novels I mentioned. If still hooked, then try his other major series of novels, variously known as the Political novels or the Palliser novels or the Parliamentary novels, which begin with CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?

How one man could hold in his mind so much of his age, and then relate it back to us peopled with so many and varied characters in--how many? 20?-- interconnected novels of surpassing richness of detail and sagacity of moral observation, is a great mystery of human psychology.

"The Last Chronicle of Barset" is surely one of the most successful and satisfying of the whole Barset and Palliser series, illustrating perhaps better than any of the former Trollope's admirable gift for creating multi-dimensional characters that are as recognizable to us today as they were in his time.

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This book is divided into eight sections:
1.Career and work
2.Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3.Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4.Structuration theory
5.Time-space in structuration theory
6.Theory on nation-state
7.theory on modernity
8.extensions and application of structuration theory

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to a hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This set as a whole is divided into eight sections:
1.Career and work
2.Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3.Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4.Structuration theory
5.Time-space in structuration theory
6.Theory on nation-state
7.theory on modernity
8.extensions and application of structuration theory

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to a hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This book is divided into eight sections:
1.Career and work
2.Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3.Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4.Structuration theory
5.Time-space in structuration theory
6.Theory on nation-state
7.theory on modernity
8.extensions and application of structuration theory

This is the best book I've read on the subject. It is complete and gives the views of various scholars both Rasta and non-Rasta. I keep it as a resource and have read it 3 times.

Chanting Down Babylon is a welcomed addition to the growing literature on Rastafari. This reader sucessfully brings together most of the scholars studying Rastafari, as well as Rastafarians themselves, providing an important insight into Rastafari. The inclusion of articles addressing biblical hermeneutics as well as Rastafari theology begins to fill an important gap in Rastafari scholarship. A real treasure for those interested in learning about Rastafari for the first time, and for those who wish to expand their knowledge of this important religious movement.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF ANTHONY TROLLOPE, DO NOT OVERLOOK "THE CLAVERINGS".

"THE CLAVERINGS" MAIN PLOT CONCERNS A YOUNG WOMAN WHO GIVES UP THE MAN SHE LOVES - AND WHO LOVES HER - TO MARRY AN OLD, VERY RICH, UPPER CLASS GENTLEMAN. THE MARRIAGE IS A MISERABLE FAILURE, BUT LUCKILY THE OLD GENTLEMAN DIES, LEAVING ALL OF HIS FORTUNE AND PROPERTY TO HIS YOUNG WIFE. IN THIS MARRIAGE, THE WIFE'S REPUTATION IS ALSO SULLIED BY RUMORS THAT SHE IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH ANOTHER MAN.

WHEN THE YOUNG WOMAN FINDS HERSELF A WEALTHY WIDOW, SHE DISCOVERS THAT SHE IS UNABLE TO ENJOY HER WEALTH AND TITLE DUE TO THE SLANDEROUS RUMORS THAT BESMIRCH HER CHARACTER. HER WEALTH BRINGS HER NO JOY AS SHE IS ALONE AND SOCIALLY RUINED. SHE THUS BEGINS A CAMPAIGN TO WIN BACK HER FIRST LOVE WHOM SHE WISHES TO SHOWER WITH HER RICHES.PERHAPS THEN SHE WILL FIND HAPPINESS AND RESTORE HER TARNISHED REPUTATION.

IN THE MEANTIME, HER YOUNG MAN WHO TRULY LOVED HER HAS BECOME ENGAGED TO ANOTHER FAR LESS HANDSOME AND QUITE POOR WOMAN.

THE MAIN ACTION OF THE BOOK REVOLVES AROUND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE ENGAGED YOUNG MAN WHO CANNOT TELL HIS PAST LOVE THAT HE IS NOW ENGAGED, AND THE NEWLY WIDOWED WOMEN WHO IS UNAWARE OF HIS ENGAGEMENT AND ATTEMPTING TO WIN HIM BACK.

AS IN ALL OF TROLLOPE'S BOOKS, THERE ARE MANY SIDE PLOTS THAT ARE EQUALLY AS PSYCHOLOGICALLY INTERESTING.

ANTHONY TROLLOP DELVES INTO THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ALL HIS CHARACTERS. IT IS NOT AN 'ACTION' BOOK BUT A STUDY OF LOVE AND GREED AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES.

I IMMENSELY ENJOYED THIS BOOK.

Since its first appearance in 1867, this novel has been acclaimed as one of Trollope's most successful portrayals of mid-Victorian life. A novel of conflicting choices in love, often accounted one of Trollope's best, but I still prefer the wicked THE EUSTACE DIAMONDS.

I was once a sex educator and this was my trusty companion. I guarantee if you read this book...you will only practice safe sex from then on. Read it...it's a real eye opener.

I am Dr.Khan from Saudi Arabia.I read this book when I was doing my training in Genitourinay Medicine from University of London UK.I found this book simple,easy to understand,the pictures are marvelous.It helped me allot in preparing for my exams.I still consult it off and on.I have also read it's old edition but the new one has focused allot on HIV related disorders. I reccomend this book to all the venereologists,dermatologists,and those who are related to genitourinary medicine.This book is a great contribution in the field of Venereology!

"Dr. Thorne" is the third in the series of Barsetshire novels by Anthony Trollope. But unlike the first two, this has little to do with the politics of the Church of England. It is the tale of two lovers from different classes, and their struggle to keep their love alive in spite of social pressures to go their own ways. Unlike the first two novels, the plot starts out very slowly, with long descriptions of the history and conditions of the fictional "Greshamsbury" estate. The author even apologizes about 30 pages in for trying the patience of his readers.

While "Dr. Thorne" lacks the crispness and economy of the first two novels ("The Warden" and "Barchester Towers"), it builds to a satisfying conclusion, and the author paints his usual precise characterizations.

If you are a fan of Anthony Trollope, be patient with this one. You will be rewarded.

Mary Thorne, orphaned (and illegitimate) niece of Dr. Thorne, has long been a favorite at Greshamsbury House--until Lady Arabella Gresham learns that her only son Frank is in love with Mary. The unhappy Mary is banished forthwith, because the Gresham family fortunes are so depleted that Frank must marry money.

Frank, however, is one of the few completely honorable young men in Trollope's novels and remains stubbornly true to his love. Well, he does propose to another woman, at the insistence of his mother, but only with the virtual certainty that he will be rejected--as indeed he is. The lady is Miss Dunstable, one of Trollope's most delightful characters, a fabulously wealthy thirtyish heiress of an ointment company. She is a bold, witty woman, not beautiful, but attractive in her way, whose wealth invites countless proposals.

After the rather complicated plot unfolds, the tables are completely turned, and Mary is eagerly welcomed by Lady Arabella (who, of course, has always loved her) as the savior of the family.

I concede that "The Last Chronicle of Barset" is the best of the Barsetshire novels, but I dearly love "Dr. Thorne." The character of the doctor himself is strong and sympathetic. Frank, Mary, Miss Dunstable, Lady Arabella, Sir Roger Scatcherd, and such minor characters as Dr. Thorne's rival, Dr. Fillgrave (one of Trollope's punnily named characters), form a superb cast. And the outcome is thoroughly satisfying. I probably enjoyed reading this novel more than any of the others.

This is a splendid book detailing life in Mexico before the conquest by the Spaniards. Beginning with the inside covers the book is rich in pictoral description. The endpapers are beautiful color reproductions of Diego Rivera's "The Great City of Tenochtitlan", a lavish tribute mural of Aztec life that adorns the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City. The color is magnificent throughout the book and includes many artifacts left from the ancient Aztecs. The book also includes a great little glossary that includes a pronunciation guide to Nahuatl terms. The glossary serves as a fine introduction to the Nahuatl Language and it's phonetics. Although the authors and contributors are scholars, the book is easy to read for the average person interested in archaeology and Pre-Columbian life in Mexico. The color plates are some of the finest and include rare glimpses into Codex's that are housed in museums. A magnificent book to use as reference. The book is also a great source of information for further research as it includes a selected bibliography. An excellent view of Aztec life, it compliments any personal library. If you love the Art of Pre-Columbian Mexico this book is also a source of inspiration.

Developed by four distinguished Mesoamerican scholars for an exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History (1992 - 1993). Great photographs of artifacts (jade masks, human skulls, sculptures), buildings and manuscripts. Well-written (not dry or too scholarly). It's been on my coffee table for years but I never tire of looking at it.

This is a wonderful resource for parents and others working with adolescents. Clear and concise information is provided about normal and abnormal social, emotional, and behavioral development of the adolescent. Advise is given for understanding and dealing with behaviors.

Your Adolescent is a wonderful book from the trusted professionals at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. It includes information on normal development, developmental milestones, physical, behavioral and emotional growth.

Another major section has advice on simple day to day problem behaviors that all parents will encounter, including problems at home and in school.

The last section has information on more serious problems, such as behavioral and emotional disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, and psychotic disorders.

All of the advice and information will help you raise a happy and healthy teenager. The book is well written and easy to read and makes a handy reference book. It also includes an appendix with information on medicines used in psychiatry, a discussion of tests used in diagnosing problems in adolescents and it has a glossary of common medical terms.

Overall, I highly recommended this book to all parents of adolescents.

This superb, broad collection of detailed papers on ancient Eastern Central Asia is fascinating for anyone interested in the subject. Though presented for professionals in the field, virtually every paper is intelligible to the lay person, opening new horizons for anyone interested in the history of this region. Exceptionally well-edited, with chapters covering archeology, migration and nomadism, linguistics, genetics and physical anthropology, metallurgy, textiles, geography and climatology, history, mythology and ethnology, a long overdue comprehensive treatment of this subject is finally at hand. Every contributor to the two-volume set should be pleased with this phenomenal achievement. Persons interested in many diverse topics, such as Zoroastrian studies, history of the Fergana Valley, or Tocharian linguistics, will still find many papers of interest, whether treated as separate subjects or not. Outstanding!

In 1989, Chicago began an experiment with radical decentralization of power and authority. This book tells the story of what happened to Chicago's elementary schools in the first four years of this reform. Implicit in this reform is the theory that expanded local democratic participation would stimulate organizational change within schools, which in turn would foster improved teaching and learning. Using this theory as a framework, the authors marshal massive quantitative and qualitative data to examine how the reform actually unfolded at the school level.With longitudinal case study data on 22 schools, survey responses from principals and teachers in 269 schools, and supplementary system-wide administrative data, the authors identify four types of school politics: strong democracy, consolidated principal power, maintenance, and adversarial. In addition, they classify school change efforts as either systemic or unfocused. Bringing these strands together, the authors determine that, in about a third of the schools, expanded local democratic participation served as a strong lever for introducing systemic change focused on improved instruction. Finally, case studies of six actively restructuring schools illustrate how under decentralization the principal's role is recast, social support for change can grow, and ideas and information from external sources are brought to bear on school change initiatives. Few studies intertwine so completely extensive narratives and rigorous quantitative analyses. The result is a complex picture of the Chicago reform that joins the politics of local control to school change.This volume is intended for scholars in the fields of urban education, public policy, sociology of education, anthropology of education, and politics of education. Comprehensive and descriptive, it is an engaging text for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates. Local, state, and federal policymakers who are concerned with urban education will find new and insightful material. The book should be on reading lists and in professional development seminars for school principals who want to garner community support for change and for school community leaders who want more responsive local institutions. Finally, educators, administrators, and activists in Chicago will appreciate this detailed analysis of the early years of reform.